The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-19

live is mine. 1 have houses in Spring street,
in Twenty eighth street and in Fifty fifth street.
and own the entire block of vacant lots
Fifth avenue, between Fifty-sixfh and Fifty
seventh streets, for which | have been offered
81, 000. 060. There eight lots the avenue,
and with the lots the side streets. there
fifteen altogether. | have owned most of this
land for twenty years. 1t originally cost me
O,O00. and with interest, taxes and assess
ments now represents between 100000 and
5000, 0O0- have project in connection with
this property which / am not prepared as yet
to divnee.
Il shall have Maud s down here in few
days, and shall have her here during the win
ter. have now between fifty and sixty horses
In my stables at Tarrytown, but many of them
are very young l have gone into breeding. and
when have moro horses than I want shall
sell some of them off. I began buying horses
thirty years ago, because I found that the exer-
else and recreation of driving just what was
work at the Office. DIR. Samuel Hall q cousiu
of my pastor, DR.. John Hail. was the first man
who bought me horse. 1t was good three
minute animal, suitable for family use Altar
a short time met old Commodore Vanderbilt
and the head ct the Harper publishing firm on
the road. behind flyers, ana I determined that
would take nobody's dust With this idea in
my mind started the stable which l own to-
day."
Mr. Bonner started life az type-setter in the
Office of the Hartford Courant, and for a num-
Der of years stood steadily at his He then
came to this city and started a small printing
Office of his own, where he did job work. His
enterprising nature always leading him
into new ventures. and in the course of little
time he had several Offices in various portions or
the city. and in several of Thorn did the printing
for small papers which could not keep com
posing-room OF their own. He had helped to
set type in of these Offices for the Mer-
chants Ledger.
Mr. Bonner ALWAYS had a penchaut for fast
horses. He said re only purchased them SO he
could beat Vanderbilt on the road and not Tor
Oct 10 1884 from Mr.. Vanderbilt. William
Trumbuli acting for him. The sum paid was
$40, 000 An offer of 500, 900 had been made for
the mare IN the spring Of the year, but Mr..
Vanderbilt would not sell her When he sold
her to Mr.. Bonner he said that he knew that
she would he well taken care Of The new pur-
chaser said he bought Maud S for a road horse,
and would not let her be speeded. He believed
that gentleman could own fast horses without
using them for gambling purposes He had a
famous stud comprising such we'll known racers
as Dexter and Rarus aud a number of horses
which were not SO fast. but were excellent road
sters. At one time effort was made to have
and in letter the subject which
published at the time he said: Il
much opposed TO trotting racing for
money. 1t has been my lifelong conviction.
and have always maintained. that gentleman
can own and drive a good horse without
being obliged to wager money on what the ami
NAL can accomplish He refused to allow the
mare to again go the track. but kept her
quietly in her paddock. times taking
her . out :, for .. spin -. on the road He
a prescription. One day when he had been
working very hard on his paper a physician en-
tered and said, Robert, want $500" What
for?h was the editors question. ITO buy you a
b orse." II secured a saddle-horse," said Mr..
Bonner, In telling the story. land used it for
time, but found that it did not agree with me.
then took to driving and have driven
since, and behind Some pretty fast steppers,
tell YOU" His great hobby was the breeding
of horses. and he firmly believed that if horses
could be properly bred the time for a mile could
be materially lowered In fact, he said he hoped
to see the time when a two minute record would
be common thing
Once when standing on the Aston House steps
with Robert Garrett he attracted the notice of
all the bystanders by strongly advocating the
putting of thoroughbred horses on the old stages
and making the time to Central Park in thirty
five minutes. There is way of telling just
how much money he had invested in his stables.
He always was purchasing the latest inventions
a good horse to sell could always find ready
purchaser in him. He gave man So 000 he
once said. to purchase horse that ne wanted,
and it cost him another good sum before he got
through.
The race-horse Dexter was always Mr.. Bon
ners favorite. Alley, the jockey who owned
Dexter, had purchased the horse for 5000. and
one day. when he was under pecuniarv embar-
rassment. offered to sell him the horse for sic,
600. saying that he was sure that he could lower
the record. 81 told him." said MIR. Bonner.
'that if he could do it my track at Fleetwood
/ would purchase him. He acceded to this, and
we went I'D. Alley knew that if l purchased.
the horse it would mean his retirement from the
public, and. do you know, he actually pulled
the horse up that ne could not lower the
record. He afterwards sold him at auction in
Chicago for $l4, 900. and before got him he cost
me $50, 900.